The Corruption of a Haliwell
by Riyirowe
Summary: Xander discovers his true heritage and all the perils that go along with it. Angelus keeps giving help of the not so helpful variety, but Xander is confused, and isn't sure what to do. Will he end up following in Drusilla's footsteps or resist? Slash
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing Charmed or Buffy. Nothing at all. I don't make money from this. I do it purely for my own enjoyment.

AN: This is AU. It will get more AU as things progress. It starts during Angelus's reign of terror and season one Charmed. It is possible that there will be spoilers for every season of Charmed, Buffy, and Angel. I don't know yet. I hope that you can bear with me, because I don't know how often I will be able to update. I am not a consistent writer. But I will try.

The Corruption of a Haliwell

Chapter One: Who am I, now?

Xander shivered a little, despite the warm California evening. There was something in the air tonight. He was getting a feeling, and though he didn't get them very often, the nudging at his brain was something he'd learned to listen to. Especially since Buffy had come to town. He sighed at that thought. Buffy and her trials with Angelus were getting worse. The vampire had been in both Buffy's and Willow's rooms, and somebody was going to get hurt soon, and Xander had a feeling that it wasn't going to be neither Angelus, nor the Slayer, judging from the ay things had been working out.

_Buffy had better pray that it isn't Cordelia or Willow_, the young man thought. Xander never talked about it, and no one else mentioned it, though both Willow and Cordelia, as well as a number of others at the school, had witnessed it, but Xander had a formidable temper, and once he lost control of it, it was difficult to get it back. The anger felt like it burned him from the inside out, and on one occasion, that both he and his parents had blocked from their memories, like good little Sunnydalers, it had physically manifested itself. Willow was his anchor, one of the few things that gave him the strength to control the rage. Cordelia was slowly becoming one. Buffy, on the other hand, was more likely to provoke him than calm him. Jesse had been another calming influence in his life.

Thinking of Jesse made him sigh again. He'd almost lost it that night. Only Willow, and surprisingly a few words from Angel had allowed him to see that it wasn't Buffy's fault the other boy was turned and dust. It was in fact only because of her that Willow was still alive. The incident hadn't caused Xander to like Angel any more, however. He had continued to lurk in shadows, and he was still all mysterious and manly, and way too damn attractive for his own good. Not that Xander would ever make the mistake of saying _that_ ever again.

Lost in his thoughts while walking the nighttime streets of Sunnydale was not the smartest thing Xander could have been doing at the moment, and soon he realized this as his thoughts had a head on collision with a voice.

"Well, well, what have we here?" The voice was that of a generic, if slightly older than most, vampire.

_Must be new in town_, thought a slightly panicked Xander, _because he obviously hasn't met the Slayer_.

"Um, sorry if I disturbed you, I was just, um, on my way home, and I'm late, and my dad's gonna kill me, so, I should just leave, and yeah…" Xander's babble trailed off as the vamp interrupted.

"Oh, I think I'll save your dad the trouble and kill you myself…"

"Leave him alone," ordered a voice from behind Xander. For a split second Xander relaxed as he recognized the voice. His would be attacker growled, but left.

Xander went from panicked to paralyzed. He swallowed convulsively and closed his eyes.

"Hello, Xander."

The dark haired young man jumped at the voice.

"Did you miss me?"

He started to tremble.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

Xander slowly turned around and looked at the tall vampire.

"Hello, Angelus."

"That's much better. I missed you."

Xander swallowed and glanced around. "Why would you miss me? We never really got along, even when you did have a soul."

"There isn't anyone around," continued Angelus, ignoring the reference to the soul, as well as the question.

"Yeah, Buffy's not here, but she's been looking for you, and I bet things would go a lot better if I was still alive when she found you, 'cause she is so not into the whole dead friend thing."

"Shhh…I am not going to kill you. I just wanted to talk, and get to know one another."

"Really, because I never thought that was your style, you seemed more like the go for the throat on the first date kinda guy."

Xander was getting more panicked as the conversation progressed and had backed into a tree.

Angelus chuckled and Xander shuddered at the sound.

"Usually, yes. But you have caught my attention. I've been wondering some things about you. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Um…do I have a choice?" Xander asked.

"No…not really. My first question: Do your friends know that you are gay?"

The question startled Xander enough that he almost forgot to be afraid. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"The soul could smell you and that Jesse kid all over each other, and I can smell your attraction to me," the vampire pushed up against Xander, causing Xander to close his eyes and turn his head as his body reacted in ways that he wasn't very pleased with. "Now, answer the question."

"No, they don't. Jesse and I weren't ready to tell anyone, not even Willow. And there hasn't been a reason to since then."

"Good boy. Now, question two: Did you know that you are adopted?"

"What? How can you…I'm not adopted." But even as he said it, Xander knew that the vampire was telling the truth. Not only did it explain so many things, it also felt right, in the same way that he had known something was gong to happen tonight.

"Of course you are. I can smell family blood, and I know yours. Both sides, in fact. And I even double-checked. I went to your house and you smell nothing like the filth that claims you."

Xander had no idea what to say. Angelus smiled, which was a bit creepy, because it was halfway between the tiny smile that was all Angel ever gave, and the psychotic grin that Angelus frequently wore. "Now, I don't think that I need to ask the third question. You obviously didn't know that, so you won't know this.

The vampire pulled away and started to turn, but Xander stopped him.

"Wait. You said…you know my real parents?"

"The soul met your great-grandmother. And as for your father…I met him quite a long time ago, not very long after I had been turned, maybe fifty years or so. Not a very nice fellow, even for your average upper-level demon, which he most definitely was not."

Xander's face went white. "You're lying."

"Now, why would I do that, when the truth is so much more interesting? But seriously. I am not lying. I can prove it. But I don't need to. You can feel it. It scares you, and I can understand that." The vampire was starting to sound less like Angelus, and more like Angel. Especially in Xander's head, and in the shock, he latched on to it as something he could trust. "I have a proposition for you. But I want to give you a day or so to think about things. I didn't want to hurt you, Xander. I wanted you to known the truth, because obviously, no one else cares enough about you to tell it. A half witch, half demon could be pretty powerful. He would be more than worth a Slayer or a Watcher."

Then Angelus was gone, though he had gone only far enough to get out of Xander's sight. The vampire smiled, and this time it was cruel and unpleasant.

How Xander made it home, he was never sure, because he couldn't remember anything after Angel—_No, it was Angelus_, he reminded himself—had left him. His dad was passed out in the living room and he couldn't see his mother, so he assumed she was in bed, though he checked the bathrooms just to make sure she wasn't passed out in either the bathtub or a pool of vomit.

He lay in bed that night, still trying to process the information about his parents. His real parents. He was a witch. That was good. He had done some reading after Willow had started delving into Wicca and had found a few things of interest. There were several types of magic users, and witches in particular. There were those who did magic by calling on demons and gods like Giles and Ethan Rayne. They were most often called sorcerers and wizards. There were those who did magic through a communion with the earth, like Willow. Then there were those who drew on spiritual energy that lay within themselves, as well as using rituals to gather it from outside sources, like Miss Calendar, or Catherine and Amy Madison. Then there were natural born witches, who had a fundamental connection with magic and the world around them. Apparently like him.

Natural born witches were usually the most powerful, though the more powerful Wiccans could become stronger than the weaker natural born. However, because of their connection with magic itself, natural born witches almost always developed at least on talent or gift, an active power, as they are often called. They could be almost anything, and examples included telekinesis, telepathy, the ability to clone one's self, deflection of other magic, and countless others. The most powerful witches occasionally developed a second.

So, Xander could deal with that, being a witch was cool. It was the other half he was having problems with. Demons were big, slimy, overgrown monsters-under-the-bed, weren't they? Then how could he look human. _There must be other types_, he though. He told himself to sneak a look at Giles's books tomorrow. An upper level demon. That had to mean something, like he was just under the devil, or the most evil of evils, whatever that was.

Finally after over an hour of tossing and turning, and hearing his dad stumble up the stairs to re-pass out on his bed—_Is he really better than a demon?_ Xander asked himself quietly—he got up. Xander made his way to the office, a tiny room downstairs in the back of the house. It was almost never used and Xander had only been inside once before, and until now never felt the desire to return. He closed the door completely before turning on the light. It was barely bigger than a closet, maybe a six by six room, with a single tiny window.

Xander stood for a moment just looking at the clutter and dusty piles of paper before shaking his head. He picked up the stack of papers that were sitting on the office chair and sat. Setting them on his lap began to leaf through them. He had looked through maybe half the documents, varying from ancient pay stubs to a letter from his aunt, before realizing that when he finished the stack he wouldn't have anywhere to put it. Glancing around for any empty surface and finding none, he reached to one side and pulled open the top drawer of the file cabinet. It was almost completely empty, and the only things inside were a stack of empty folders waiting to be labeled.

Xander snorted slightly, and whispered, "Of course." He glanced at his watch. He still had almost six hours before the school would let him in, and he needed something to keep him from breaking into hysterics until then. So, he grabbed a file and a pen, labeled it FINANCES and slid it into place, with the top three pages going into it.

"Wot's got you lookin' like the canary that ate the cat?" asked Spike as Angelus entered the warehouse.

"I just began the process of breaking in Darla's replacement."

Spike swiveled his wheelchair around to face the older vampire. "You turned a bird? As in a new childe? You must be off your bloody rocker. Darla tore us apart, all we need is another one. And her family…"

"Spikey, Daddy hasn't made us a new sibling, not yet, and the family doesn't know their child," Drusilla said as she danced across the room from where she'd been standing at a table covered with strange plants, substances that are better left unnamed, and a small black cauldron.

A witch, not knowing her family…I'm sorry luv, but that is a bit more off than your usual."

"But kitten isn't anyone's daughter, is he Daddy, no and the grandmummy and her granddaughters never knew about the fun the Old One's son had with their mum."

Angelus sighed as Dru pasted herself to his side.

"That's right Dru. Xander is a surprise."

"Harris? You can't honestly believe…"

"Harris isn't a Harris, Spike. He's a Haliwell. The first male Haliwell since they became witches."

"A Haliwell!" Spike tried to interrupt.

"And yes," Angelus continued on over the top of him, "he's got those three sisters, but they don't know anything about him. So it shouldn't even be an issue. But here's the best part. Guess who the father is." Angelus leaned forward, putting his hands on the arms of the wheelchair and putting his mouth right next to Spike's ear.

"I'm sure you are going to tell me," Spike said, rolling his eyes.

"Sysphaxus," Angelus whispered.

Spike gaped, opening and closing his mouth a few times before anything came out. Drusilla giggled behind him, dancing with Miss Edith, her doll.

"Zankou's brother? Wait, he's half-Haliwell and half-demon?" asked Spike.

"Oh, yes. And I can't wait to see what he can do with all that darkness. I can tell it's just waiting to be released."

"A Haliwell and an upper level demon," Spike mused. Bloody hell, we'll be the Scourge of the World!"

"Spike, I like the way you think," Angelus laughed. "Dru, have you finished that unbinding potion?"

"The blood to drink is always sweet when mixed with the wine," was the only response he got.

"Dru," he growled, "fix the potion."

"Yes, Daddy. Would you spare the kitten a drink?" she asked, holding out an empty goblet towards the older vampire. Angelus bit into his wrist and let the cup fill. Then he offered the wrist to Spike who greedily drank of the offered Sire's blood.

"We'll have you out of that chair in no time," Angelus whispered. Then he pulled back his arm and picked Spike up. He carried the paralyzed vampire to the master bedroom as Drusilla hummed and poured the blood into the slightly steaming cauldron.

By the time six-thirty rolled around Xander had sorted through close to half the papers in the small office, but he still hadn't found anything pertaining to his birth or adoption. He had found a number of interesting letters from the mayor, however, talking in vague terms about how the Harrises were doing a "great service for their community." He had filed those under correspondence, even though he had no idea what they were about.

He heard his dad stumble out to his car and take off for work, no doubt after a shot of whiskey or a can of beer. He then made his way back upstairs and showered and dressed. At five 'til seven he was out the door and less than ten mintues later was in the library. He was shocked to find that not even Giles was there, but that made finding the books he wanted that much simpler. He quickly found the book on witches and tucked it into his bag. He then started browsing the titles, the few he could read anyway for something on upper-level demons.

He was about to give it up as looking for a needle in a haystack. Literally every book seemed to be about demons of some sort or another, and he had no idea where to look for upper-level demons. Then the library door opened.

"Good lord, Xander, what are you doing here?" Giles asked.

"I couldn't sleep," he said, "and I thought I'd catch up on my, uh, demon-detecting skills."

"Well, that is…that is very…very ambitious of you. What were you, uh, looking for?"

"I read something the other day about upper level demons, and was wondering what the difference was."

"Oh my. Upper level demons are, well, more powerful. They wield a much greater array of powers, and often have a human form that they usually appear in. Only rarely do they take on their demonic form, which is as unique as they themselves. They stand right below the Source of All Evil and the First Evil in the hierarchy, as such things go," Giles had fallen into lecture mode, but for once Xander was hanging on every word. "Though at one point, a few thousand years ago, the two of them were almost overthrown by a pair of brothers. I can't recall the names right now, however. Anyway. It is very unlikely that we shall ever deal with such as them. They tend to stay away from the hellmouth. They like it closed. They like things the way they are. They also have their own Champions of light to deal with without getting in the way of the Slayer." Giles pondered for a moment. "Though, it wouldn't be a bad thing for you to read up on them. After all, knowledge is power." The librarian went into his office, where he kept the rarer and more dangerous books and came out with a single slim volume. Handing it to Xander he said, "It isn't much. The Watchers don't have much on them, unlike the families of natural born witches, who often keep a Book of Shadows, full of the information on all the demons they have ever encountered. Unfortunately, they are also very secretive, and very few of them are in contact with the Council."

"Thanks, Giles," said Xander, who was looking slightly sick, but took the book anyway and turned toward the door. "Do you mind if I borrow it for a few days?"

"No, go…go ahead. Like I said, it isn't likely we'll be needing that particular book anytime soon," Giles said, a little surprised at the sudden studious turn of the normally book shy boy.

Xander headed to a secluded part of the quad where it was unlikely he would be seen. Especially by Willow and Buffy. Both girls would know something was wrong, and Willow would force the truth out of him long before he was ready to talk. He sat on the grass beneath a tree and began to read.

_Upper level demons are hard to classify. They are individuals, and as such no two are alike. It is unknown just how they are formed, unlike lesser demons, whose breeding habits have been observed, indeed, if not experienced, in unfortunate cases. It is postulated that they are direct descendents of the Old Ones, remaining on this plane by diluting their blood, and therefore their power, through breeding with humans…There are some broad traits that most, if not all, upper level demons share._

Xander was interested to find that instantaneous transportation was the most widespread power. Literally every demon had the ability to move from one place to another in some fashion or another. Shimmering was the most common, and Flaming was common in demons of mid-level power, but the most powerful demons had their own ways of doing things. Many demons had offensive powers as well. Fireballs were probably the most common, though energy balls were prevalent as well. The human form of upper level demons was a little confusing, however.

_The theory that upper level demons are the result of the Old Ones forcing themselves upon human is supported by the fact that many upper level demons look human, and very rarely take on the appearance of anything resembling the lower level demons. This makes them very dangerous, because they can easily blend in to the human population, and in fact many often do just that. They take on human lives, and can even infiltrate governments and other organizations. They have also been known to use their human form to trick humans into mating with them, and the half-demon children that result are often just as bad as their demonic parent. Half-demons have been known to be the most foul of their kind. Balthazar is one that often is used to reference this fact. On occasion a half-demon is able to use his or her powers against their demonic brethren, but it is difficult for them to overcome the darker nature within them._

Xander tossed the book away from him and leaned to the side and threw up as soon as he read this, and then sat shaking until the bell rang. He wiped his mouth and shoved the book back into his bag. As he walked down the hall to his class, the only thought running through his mind was, _I'm evil. I'm evil, so my mother got rid of me._

An aide knocked on the door and at the light, "Enter," came into the office.

"Sir," he said, "we have just received notification from our seers that a stipulation has been met."

"Really," the suited man sitting behind the large desk reclined. "What was the arrangement?"

"It was an anonymous client. She wrote five letters, and the stipulation was that we hold them until one of two things happened. One of the three older siblings died, or one of the two younger became aware of their witch heritage. Then they were to be delivered."

"And which was filled?"

"The second, sir."

"Pity, that. Death always does a family good. No matter. Who are these children?"

"We don't know. The one who discovered the heritage lives in Sunnydale, and he appears to be the youngest, but the other four are unknown."

"Curious. What details do we know about him?"

"Little. She was very strict on the amount of information she would give us. However, the seers told us that a Master Vampire recognized the boy, something about having met his ancestors at one point or another."

"That could be interesting. Where is the mother now?"

"Client upkeep on the file says she died around a year after the transaction, killed by a demon."

"Do we know anything about his father? Or why the two younger children were unaware of their background?"

"From what the seers could ascertain, the two younger have separate fathers from the other three, but we don't know anymore than that."

"Very, well," the lawyer grinned, and the aide shivered imperceptibly. "Send the letters in a month. If we wait long enough, this boy might pick up some…bad habits. Make sure tracking spells are placed on all the letters, and find out who these children are."

"Yes, sir."

"After all, we must always be on the lookout for future hindrances to Wolfram and Hart. And potential clients."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Apparently, I forgot to put this on the first chapter, but just to be clear, this is slash. I'm sorry if anyone read it and was upset about it. Thanks for the reviews that I got, they are appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or Buffy or Angel

Warnings: Slash

Chapter 2: Revelations

Two days later, after Xander skipped out on the Bronze, claiming exhaustion and possible sickness, as well as a second evening and night of organizing the office, he found his birth certificate.

"Peter Alexander," he whispered to himself. It had a good sound to it, he decided. It was sad that he couldn't go by that name though. Along with the birth certificate was an official name change certificate. He had gone from Peter Alexander with no last name to Alexander Lavelle Harris. And there were adoption record as well.

Xander put all the papers into the file marked as him and sat there for a moment. Then he pulled the entire file out of the cabinet and took it up to his room with him. It had all the important information about him throughout his life, and he didn't want it in the hands of his parents anymore.

In his room he looked at his birth certificate again. His was the only name on it, apart from the doctor's signature. Both the line for mother and father were blank. He wondered briefly if she had removed her name with magic or if she had given birth somewhere other than the hospital and then dropped him off somewhere.

He started to think that the latter was true but then thought, _But how would they have known my name? The hospital wouldn't have named me, would they? Or maybe there was a letter requesting that I be named something specific…_

He decided it was pointless to think about and put the file in his small fireproof safe hidden in his closet. He'd gotten it a couple years ago after his father had taken one of his stuffed animals and ripped it up in front of him. He wouldn't have cared except it was a present from Willow during kindergarten. The safe held his most valuable and sentimental things. A few rare baseball cards from his days collecting as a kid, a letter from Jesse sent the summer before Buffy had come, a small collection of photos of Jesse, Willow, and Xander as kids, and one of the Scoobies, a gold pocket watch that had been sent to him one Christmas, unmarked besides his name and a "keep it secret" note. It had shown up on his bed that night. His parents had never seen it.

Now that he thought about it, he wondered if it was from his mother. Or maybe his father. He wasn't sure if either possibility was something that he cared to think about.

He looked at the clock sitting next to his bed. It was 3:37. He replaced the things he'd pulled out and shut the safe and his closet. Collapsing on the bed with a silent groan of relief, he allowed himself to drift off. As he neared the edge of sleep he wondered what Angelus's proposition was.

Xander woke up late the next morning. He couldn't even remember turning his alarm off that morning, and it was almost time for second period before he got to school. He groaned as the last person he wanted to see stopped him as soon as he stepped through the door.

"Harris!" shouted Principal Snyder. "You are an hour late. That's detention."

"Yes, sir," he said, not in the mood to make a fuss. The troll looked at him as if waiting for him to protest, but Xander merely asked, "May I go to class, please?"

"Yes, but if this happens again, a note will be sent home," the disagreeable man said with a sly smile on his face. It was almost as if he knew what would happen to Xander if his parents received a note.

Xander nodded and went down the hall to his locker just as the bell rang and students came pouring in to the hall. He spent most of they day in a daze, barely paying attention in class and more often than not, missing the time passing, so deep in thought was he. Two thoughts in particular he kept coming back to. One, depending on how powerful he was, he very well might be as good as or better than a Slayer in a fight, and two, what the hell did Angelus want with him?

That evening, after a short patrol with Willow and Buffy, well, more like he and Willow following Buffy around while she patrolled, Xander headed home. There had been no sign of Angelus or his cronies during the round, and only a few newly risen vamps had needed dusting. Xander pondered what he was going to do. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he was considering confronting his parents. He wasn't sure however, because his dad could get violent on occasion, and they obviously hadn't wanted him to know, at least not yet. He was actually surprised that one of his parents hadn't brought it up at one point in one of their many tirades about how worthless he was.

He sighed. This whole thing was just too much, and he half wished that he could just forget about it and go on with his life.

"Penny for your thoughts," Angelus said, startling Xander, who stopped and turned to the vampire, who was leaning up against one of the trees that lined the street.

"Uh, they're probably not worth that much," the boy said, his hands fumbling nervously. He started to reach behind to where he had a stake stuck in his back pocket, but the vampire fixed him with an almost disappointed look.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Xander. I wanted to talk to you about my proposition."

The vampire sounded so much like Angel that Xander hesitated for a moment. He may not have liked the soul version, but he had a certain degree of respect, though not without criticism. After a seconds thought he pulled the stake out.

"I feel better with this between you and me anyway," he said.

"Of course, but if you really want to stake me, I'm sure that there are much more pleasurable ways of doing it," the vampire said with a sly grin. Xander blushed at the thoughts that the comment elicited in his head. "Anyway," the vampire continued, "my proposition. By now, I'm sure that you have discovered the truth about your family, at least some of it."

Xander nodded and Angelus continued. "You are half-witch half-demon," Xander grimaced slightly, but the vampire didn't stop. "Your powers are bound, so that you would remain ignorant of them. I don't know who bound them, but I suspect that it was your mother. She probably feared the demon side of you and decided to lock all of your magic away."

"But…I know that half-demons have been some of the most evil, but shouldn't the good magic from me being a witch like, I don't know, balance out the evil of the demon?" asked Xander with not a small amount of hope.

"It probably would have, had you been raised by a witch who has been willing to teach the control to you. But as it is…I don't know."

Xander's face fell, and he closed his eyes briefly. As he did, Angelus's face brightened for a moment in glee, before quickly transforming to a look of sympathy.

Xander opened his eyes and gestured for Angelus to continue.

"I'm afraid that living as long as you have on the hellmouth has caused the demon powers to become stronger, and they are threatening to break the binding. Now, I believe that the only way to control your demon at this point would be to awaken your witch powers as well and learn to control them both at the same time."

"Why are you telling me this?" Xander asked. "Are you suggesting that you could train me? I would have thought you would want my demon powers to break free."

"Normally, that thought might have crossed my mind, but I owe a favor or two to your family, and I thought that this might take care of the debt. Angelus might be one of the most feared names in the Underworld, but everyone knows that he keeps his word. Your father got me out of a tight spot once, about a decade before I met the gypsies. And your great-grandmother…let's just say that she was a great woman."

Xander continued to look at him for a few seconds, warily considering what he had said and Angel continued. "Besides, who better to know about a demon's powers but a demon, right?" The subtle jab did what it was supposed to; reinforcing the idea that Xander couldn't go to any of the Scoobies.

"I'll…I'll have to think about it," Xander said, gripping his stake nervously.

"That's all I ask. After all, I want to help you," the vampire said.

Xander started backing away, his house only half a block away. He turned when Angelus didn't move to follow him, then he paused.

"Thanks Angel," he said quickly and darted to his house.

Angelus smirked at his fleeing back, and as he vanished began laughing quietly.

"This is going quicker and easier than I expected. I wonder just what the Watcher's books say about half-demons?"

"Sir," the vampire minion said.

"Yes, my young friend?" The response came from a high backed chair that was facing away from the desk it sat behind.

"We are getting reports that Angelus has been confronting Alexander Harris."

"Hmmm…so the former traitor has discovered the Haliwell. That shouldn't be a surprise." After a brief pause the voice continued. "What has happened during these confrontations…that is such an ugly word."

"It seems no one has been close enough to overhear, but they have been non-violent, though the boy seems to be nervous. They merely talk, and then Angelus watches to make sure the boy gets home."

"I wonder. We are going to have to assume that Angelus has told him he's adopted, and of his heritage. The poor boy is going to be in such a state of shock. It may be that I could rescue him earlier than planned. Watch these conversations, and get close enough to listen. If it looks like Angelus intends to turn the boy stop him, and make sure the boy stays alive. If it looks like Alexander is considering joining the vampire make arrangements to bring him to me. And change the contingency plans accordingly." The chair swiveled around to reveal Mayor Richard Wilkins III. "That will be all."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor."

It was another two days before Xander finally had the confrontation he had been dreading.

"What is the matter, Xander?" Willow asked. "I know something is wrong. You've been off all week." They were in the library. It was empty but for the two of them.

Xander sighed, he couldn't tell her everything, but maybe he could get around the whole truth.

"I'm…" he started, and paused.

"What is it? You can tell me!"

"I'm adopted."

"Oh my god! That's great news…isn't it?" Willow hesitated. "They're worse than your parents, aren't they? Of all the things! You'd think that a wonderful person like you would deserve more. Look what you do…"

"Willow," Xander cut her off before the babble could truly get started. "I don't know if they're worse or not. My birth certificate doesn't have their names on it. But just so you know, my real name was Peter Alexander. Mom and Dad changed it to Alexander Lavelle."

"Wow," Willow gushed. "That's cool. I mean with the whole Peter meaning rock and Alexander meaning protector of man and everything. What does Lavelle mean?"

Xander blinked. "I have no idea."

"Hmmm, maybe I'll look it up. But that doesn't matter. I bet I could find out who your mom was. All I'd have to do would be to hack into the hospital database for that day and see. It would be a cinch."

"Thanks, Wills, you're the greatest."

"Of course I am."

He leaned forward and hugged her.

"I think they're cheating on you, Oz."

Willow and Xander broke apart, startled, and looked at Cordelia.

"Looks that way," the werewolf said. Then he gave that little grin that only he could do and sat down next to Willow.

Xander turned slightly red, and turned away from the couple. He looked at Cordelia, who gave a knowing smirk. The dark haired duo had broken up a few weeks ago. They'd realized that they were hot together, but really they made better friends. Cordelia had also figured out that Xander was lusting after Oz, and that she was basically his attempt at being straight. It hadn't disturbed her so much as it had amused her greatly. Here she had been worried about losing him to Willow, when it was the other short red head that she needed to watch out for.

"Hey," Willow said to Oz.

"Hey," was the simple response.

Cordelia rolled her eyes and sat down next to Xander.

"So, did you get donut-boy here all straightened out?" Cordelia asked Willow, with her usual tact. None.

"I didn't need to be straightened out. I'm perfectly straight." He seemed to realize what he'd said. "Not that there was a question or anything, about my straightness, and um…"

"Just stop while you're ahead, zeppo."

"Can it, airhead." Xander had long ago learned that Cordelia's insults were her way of showing her respect, even like. The more she insulted you, the more she liked you, unless she didn't like you. But if she meant them, you would know, and so would everyone else.

"You shouldn't call him names," Willow said. "I thought you two were still friends after the whole breaky-uppy thing." The red haired hacker-witch, on the other hand, still hadn't figured it out.

"I'll call him what I want, geek."

"Cordelia, I still don't understand why you hang around if you see us as being so inferior," Buffy had entered the room. Her eyes held the slightly haunted look that they'd had since Angel had gone poof and Angelus had made his grand reappearance. It seemed a bit lighter than normal though. There hadn't been a sign of Angelus for over a week. _Except for his conversations with me, _Xander thought.

"Who says I hang around you?" asked Cordelia. "Oz is in a band. That makes him cool…even if he is on the five year plan for graduation."

Oz nodded his head in recognition of the statement, and Xander quirked his mouth in an attempt not to smile. Buffy hadn't "gotten" Cordelia either, but it seemed that Oz had. _It must come from the whole not talking thing. You start hearing what people aren't saying_, mused Xander.

Giles came out of his office and the Scooby meeting was officially underway.

"Let's see," started the Watcher, "unless you know of any new events that you've yet to inform me of," he paused here to glance at everyone, but focused on Buffy, who shook her head, "then the only major threat is still Angelus."

Buffy blanched slightly, as did Xander, but no one seemed to notice, as everyone else was focused on the Slayer.

"I must again stress that you must be extremely cautious. He seems to be intent on taunting us for now, and he most definitely knows how, having been a part of our group for some time. But he could cease playing at any time, and that would be deadly. We have cast uninvite spells on all our homes, but all it takes is a careless word and he will have access again."

"My poor fish," Willow murmured.

"It could have been your life!" Giles said shortly. Then he promptly apologized. "Do forgive me, Willow. I am under a lot of stress, but that shouldn't excuse me being harsh with you. I am sorry about your fish."

"That's okay, Giles. I understand," the girl said, leaning into Oz. The conversation ceased for a few moments as the door opened.

A slightly hesitant Ms. Calendar started in, and after a few moments of silence, asked, "Am I welcome?"

With a quick glance around the table, Giles nodded an affirmative. "Yes, you are."

She gave him a small smile, and took a seat on the other side of Cordelia, and was quiet for most of the meeting.

"We were just discussing the danger that Angelus poses, which I am sure you are aware of." The gypsy nodded, and they resumed.

"I fear that Angelus may be up to something. We have not heard from his or his childer, nor seen evidence of them for nearly two weeks. Unfortunately, neither is there evidence that he has left Sunnydale. We must be on our guard."

After the Scooby meeting Cordelia hung back and grabbed Xander. She pulled him away from the others down a side hall.

"So what is going on with you?" she demanded of the young man.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Don't play with me, geek-boy. I've known you for just as long as Willow."

Xander sighed. "Okay, fine. I found out the other day that I'm adopted. My birth certificate didn't have a name for mother or father. It didn't even give me a lost name. And my name was originally Peter Alexander," he said in a rush, avoiding the Queen of Sunnydale High's eyes.

She leaned in and gave him a hug. "That's mixed news, I guess, huh? Those slimeballs that try to claim parenthood aren't yours, but you have no way of finding your real ones."

"Yeah…though Willow says she is going to try and hack into the hospital databases and see if she can find out possible mothers."

"That's good. Now. Tell me the rest of it," she ordered.

"That's everything."

"Xander Harris!" she said narrowing her eyes at him.

"Look, Cordy."

"Don't you 'Cordy' me, buster."

"Fine, there is more. I'm just now ready to tell anyone. Okay?"

Cordelia looked at him for a long moment, waiting until he met her eyes.

"Okay. I'll give you a while, but if you don't tell me soon, I will make you, okay? I worry about you."

"I know you care. And I love you for it."

"And I love you. Dweeb."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Sorry about the long wait for the update...I was going, and I thought I was going really well, but then all the words seemed to hide. Hopefully the next chapter won't take that long, but don't give up, I'm working, sometimes slowly, but surely.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Charmed or Buffy. I am just happy that I have the opportunity to play around a bit.

Chapter Three: The Danger Zone

Phoebe Halliwell gasped as a premonition hit her. Her sisters, Prue and Piper stopped what they were doing and watched her.

After a few moments she looked up and turned to them with tears in her eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked a slightly panicked Piper.

"There's a boy, a witch, he's in danger. He's so confused, and there are so many things pulling him in all sorts of directions. There were vampires, and demons, and lawyers, and his parents…they are so mean to him. He is on the edge of becoming a warlock."

"Where is he? We have to help him," insisted Prue.

"I don't know where he is. It is almost like the premonition didn't want me to know. It just wanted me to know that it was happening."

"We can't just sit here and watch a good witch fall into evil," Piper said.

"Let's check the Book of Shadows. There may be something there that helps out. Maybe a spell to help guide him, or a locating spell, or something," said Prue.

Phoebe smiled her eyes still watery. "Okay."

The three sisters made their way up the stairs to the attic.

Xander woke the next morning unsure of what he was going to do. He felt slightly guilty for not telling Giles about Angelus approaching him, but that would have meant telling him about everything else as well, and he wasn't ready for that. He showered and ate before either of his parents made an appearance. That was good, though, because he still hadn't decided what to tell them.

They day wasn't the most wonderful of days. The clouds had rolled in overnight, and it looked like it might rain. Xander decided it was a sign and went upstairs to get ready to leave. He wasn't sure where he was going to go, but he didn't want to be here anymore than he had to. He started back down the stairs and as he hit the bottom he met his dad.

He must have come down while I was in my room. I can't believe I didn't hear him, thought Xander.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tony Harris grunted.

Xander, his brain so full of the events of the past few days, as well as the surprise of running into his dad blurted out the first thing that came into his head.

"Am I adopted?"

Both Xander and Tony froze for a moment. Xander couldn't believe that he had asked. Especially like that. Tony had different thoughts in his head. Fear of what the knowledge could mean to the Mayor wasn't at the bottom of the list. And fear in this particular man translated into anger.

"It took you this long to figure it out?" the large man said. "Of course you're adopted. You think that some shit stain like you could come from me? They had to pay us to take you," the elder Harris sneered. "And how the hell did you find out anyway. You were snooping around in my office weren't you? You little prick!" he shouted. He backhanded Xander in the head. Xander was still frozen in shock and didn't see it in time to duck. He fell to the ground, his ear ringing. "Now get out of here, ya little bastard!"

Xander got up and stumbled out the door, trying not to cry. Not from the blow, but from the words. No matter how many times he heard them, he couldn't shake them off. Loser, worthless. The truth of his adoption being out now would probably see the recurrence of the words from today. They had to pay us to take you, echoed in his head as he ran down the street.

He collapsed in the middle of a circle of thick evergreen trees that he and Jesse used to hide out in. First when they were kids as a kind of fort, and then later when they first started exploring the possibilities of more than friendship.

He lay there, not noticing the few drops of rain that trickled through the branches and dripped on him. It had been about five minutes when a gentle hand rested itself on his shoulder. He started and pulled himself up to a sitting position. He quickly backed away running an arm across his face.

"How? What are you doing here?"

"It isn't sunny out today," Angelus said. "I saw you running and thought you might need someone to talk to."

Xander sighed, and leaned against a trunk. "My dad found out that I know I'm adopted. He didn't react in the most pleasant manner." He started to reach a hand up to his face, but Angelus got there first. The vampire gently brushed back the boy's hair to look at the developing bruise. He growled and Xander looked up at him wide-eyed.

"You don't deserve to be treated like this," the vampire hissed.

Xander didn't know what to say, but the seemingly kind words tipped the balance.

"I need help. And you are the only one that I know that can give it to me." The boy sighed. "What do we do first?"

"Come on. There's a potion. It will unbind your powers. Then we can start helping you get control.

"Oh my god!" cried Phoebe from where she was reading through the Book of Shadows.

"What is it?" asked Piper, as she and Prue hurried over to their younger sister.

"It says here that a witch coming into their powers has forty-eight hours of weakness where evil can turn him or her."

"So, this kid has two days to stay good? What consists of turning evil?" asked Prue.

"Well, um, here. It says that if he uses his powers for a purpose to harm someone…he'll turn into a Warlock."

"So, what did you see in your premonition again?" asked Prue.

"Well, he seems younger. Maybe sixteen or seventeen. Um…he knows about demons, but he didn't know that he was a witch. I think he might have been adopted. His parents aren't very nice…I think they might be abusive. Then there were all these people. Evil lawyers, evil politicians, vampires, some sort of Champion, a different kind of witch, a werewolf, a cheerleader."

"Well, evil lawyers and politicians. Like that's a big surprise," Piper said.

"Piper, this isn't a joke. This boy is in a lot of trouble. The politician is a Warlock; he knew about the boy his entire life. He put him with abusive parents on purpose so that he could swoop in and pretend to be the hero. These lawyers…I'm not sure what they are about, they were supposed to do something, something that would help the boy, but they want him to fall. So they are waiting. They will still do what they are supposed to, but they are going to wait until after it doesn't matter anymore."

"So, is there anybody that is on this kid's side?" asked Prue.

"Us. And he has a few friends, but I think that he is afraid of telling them for some reason."

Piper went to the Book and looked over the page it had been left on.

"There's a spell. 'To Guide a New Witch.'"

"That sounds perfect," Phoebe said. "Until I get another premonition it is all we can do."

The three sisters gathered around the book, with Phoebe standing between the other two. As one they recited the spell:

"Danger is present at a witch's beginning,

temptation is there ready for sinning,

but strength lies within the heart,

and goodness can triumph at the start,

when the time for this boy is at hand,

help him to know his strength and withstand." 

As they finished white lights spun around them for a moment before shooting into the air.

"Well, it seems to have worked," Piper said.

Prue nodded and the two older sisters headed down the stairs. Phoebe looked in the direction the lights had disappeared in the rain for a moment before sighing and following her sisters.

Xander and Angelus walked silently, the day overcast and damp. Xander was still unsure as to why he was clinging to this small bit of kindness that was being offered. _This vamp killed Willow's fish…what am I doing with him?_ he asked himself.

Angelus gave a tiny half smirk, reading the confused emotion playing across the boy's face, as well as in his scent. _This is going to be easier than I thought. It's almost as if he was groomed to be pulled in. I wonder…it wouldn't surprise me if someone had…adopted into that family and then ignored by social services. It's someone in the bureaucracy. I should look into it, though I could run into some problems if it is an upper-level demon_.

It didn't take them very long to reach the warehouse that Angelus and his childer had claimed as their home. Xander hesitated and looked back. The vampire placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him forward.

"Don't be afraid," Angelus said as they entered. "Everyone here knows not to hurt you. You are under my protection."

"I'm not sure that makes me feel better," the boy muttered under his breath, not thinking of the vampires' hearing. Angelus smirked slightly, and Spike laughed out loud, startling Xander.

Before he could say anything to the wheelchair bound vampire Drusilla waltzed into the main room holding a goblet. It was steaming slightly as she handed it to Xander. The boy took it hesitantly and grimaced. "What's in it?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to know.

"Snips and snails, and puppy dog tails," Drusilla sang, "for that's what little boys are made of." Angelus raised an eyebrow at her. He hadn't seen any of that going into the potion, though he had seen demon tongue and the eye of fyarl. And, of course, Angelus's blood.

Xander looked between the two vampires and over to where Spike sat.

Then he closed his eyes and downed the potion. He gagged and Drusilla giggled.

"No sugar, no spice, and nothing nice…"

_No_, thought Xander, as the darkness closed in around him, _nothing nice at all_.


End file.
